Nationals Recreational Fishing Policy a Huge Election Bribe

UnitedFuture has branded the National Party’s recently announced proposal for recreational fishing reserves as an election bribe.

“As New Zealands' outdoors party United Future will support any practical and worthwhile initiatives to restore and enhance the public’s recreational fishing but the proposal by government cabinet ministers Nathan Guy and Nick Smith falls short of a satisfying result for both management and the recreational fishing public. Frankly it appears to be purely an election bribe,” said United Future’s outdoors spokesman Alan Simmons.

He said he and United Future leader Peter Dunne's judgement was based on anglers’ mood at United Future meetings around the country where they have been proposing the concept of these reserves and other fishing policy.

“National’s bribe fails to address the issue of the dreadful wastage in the commercial fishing industry and makes no attempt to rebuild depleted stocks,” said Alan Simmons. “Frankly it indicates National have no constructive fishing policy and the latest proposal seems a knee-jerk sop to anglers who will not be fooled.”

“Little understood is that there are already netting/commercial restrictions in place in the Gulf so in essence National are giving very little away. The Hauraki Gulf proposal also needs to be extended out to Great Barrier Island while the Sounds area should include the west of d’Urville Island.”

"Wastage of fish stocks by commercial was still continuing and under that regime, fish stocks will still decline in areas such as the Bay of Plenty where Snapper stocks are now as low as 6% of what is the accepted benchmark,” he said.

Alan Simmons said United Future would continue to push for significant change to fisheries management to address waste, while rebuilding fish stocks and having fairness and equity between the recreational commercial and customary sectors.

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